A Week Along the Canal du Midi
Canal du Midi
An Experience of a Lifetime
Join us for a very special week through the heart of Southern France, cruising the historic Canal du Midi.
Think French villages, vineyards, medieval towns, local food, beautiful wines, long lunches, slow afternoons on the water — and the simple pleasure of travelling somewhere without constantly having to rush to the next destination.
It is Gay Sailing, French style: a small group of gay men, a beautiful premium boat, good food and wine, beautiful places, a little adventure, relaxing massages on deck, and plenty of space to simply enjoy yourself.
And we think it could be one of those trips we will all remember for the rest of our lives.
📅 Choose Your Week
April 3–9, 2027
6 nights · 7 days
Homps → Port Cassafières
Meet us in Homps in the afternoon on April 3.
The trip finishes in Port Cassafières on April 9, with arrival around 15:00.
April 10–16, 2027
6 nights · 7 days
Port Cassafières → Homps
The same beautiful journey in the opposite direction, beginning in Port Cassafières and finishing in Homps.
April 17–24, 2027
7 nights · 8 days
Homps → Port Cassafières
Our longer version, with an additional night at no extra charge! :)
💶 Price
€1,750 per person
sharing a double cabin, individual bed
€3,500 per couple
sharing a double bed
€2,500
double cabin for single use
To confirm your booking, we ask for a 50% deposit at the time of booking, with the remaining 50% due one month before departure.
The price includes accommodation aboard the boat, food prepared aboard, wine with meals, boat costs, moorings, linen and towels, and the full Gay Sailing experience with Lucas, Mattia and Seppi.
🛥️ A Premium Boat — With Space to Enjoy It
We deliberately chose a larger, premium canal boat for this trip.
And we are not going to fill every available slot.
There is a reason for that.
We want everyone to have space to breathe, relax and actually enjoy the boat. Space to sit outside with a glass of wine. Space to cook together. Space to read in the afternoon. Space to have a quiet moment to yourself.
🐌 Slow Travel Through Southern France
Canal travel is wonderfully slow.
Most days we'll cruise, stop somewhere interesting, have lunch, explore a village, visit a winery or simply enjoy the boat.
The canal gives us a route but we leave room for the unexpected.
A beautiful village may deserve a longer lunch.
A wine producer may tempt us to stay.
A sunny afternoon may simply call for doing absolutely nothing.
That's part of the experience.
🍷 Food, Wine, Massage & French Life
Food is a big part of travelling with us.
Lucas is a chef, so meals aboard are part of the experience: simple, generous, Mediterranean-inspired food, local ingredients and plenty of good wine.
And Mattia is a professional massage therapist, so if you'd like to take relaxation one step further, he can also offer relaxing massages on deck while we slowly cruise through the south of France.
Imagine lying back on the deck, feeling the sun, listening to the water and watching the vineyards and little French villages pass by — while Mattia gives you a massage.
That's what we mean by slow travel.
Along the way, we can also arrange wine tastings with local producers, giving us the chance to discover some of the wines and flavours of the region properly.
And when we eat out, there is no obligation to join every meal.
You can:
🍽️ Join us for dinner
🥘 Stay aboard and cook your own meal or eat the leftovers
🍷 Go out and discover the village yourself
Or go look for a French boyfriend. 😉
It's your holiday.
🇫🇷 Why April?
April is a beautiful time to experience the Canal du Midi.
The countryside is fresh and green, flowers are beginning to bloom, the days are getting longer and temperatures are generally much more comfortable than during the intense summer heat.
It is also outside the peak summer season, so the canal and villages have a much quieter, more relaxed atmosphere. Locals are happy to see us and haven't yet been worn out by the high season — and you avoid the worst of the summer heat and the large crowds of summer visitors.
Perfect weather for slow travel.
🏰 History, Villages & Canal Engineering
We'll pass through centuries of French history and some remarkable pieces of engineering.
Along the way we'll discover places such as:
Paraza
A beautiful canal village surrounded by vineyards.
Le Somail
One of the prettiest stops along the canal, with its historic harbour and old-world atmosphere.
Capestang
A medieval town dominated by its magnificent collegiate church.
Oppidum d’Ensérune & the Malpas Tunnel
Ancient history and one of the most fascinating engineering features of the Canal du Midi.
Colombiers
A classic canal stop surrounded by vineyards and countryside.
Fonseranes Locks
The famous staircase of locks — and one of the highlights of the entire journey.
Béziers
A historic French city and one of the most important places along the canal.
And eventually:
Port Cassafières, where our journey comes to an end.
🛥️ You Can Actually Drive the Boat and Operate the Locks
One of the fun things about this trip is that you don't have to just sit there and watch.
If you want to participate, you can learn to steer the boat, handle the ropes and help operate the locks.
Our French partners will give us an introduction before we start, and we'll guide you along the way.
No previous experience is necessary.
And if you'd rather sit on deck with a glass of wine and watch everyone else work...
That's perfectly acceptable too. 😉
👬 Who Is This Trip For?
This trip is for gay men who enjoy good food, beautiful places, slow travel and good company.
You can come alone, with a friend or as a couple.
You don't need to know anything about canal boats.
And you certainly don't have to participate in everything.
Some guests may want to learn how to operate the locks. Others may prefer a long lunch, a massage and a book on deck.
Both are exactly what this trip is about.
☀️ A Typical Day
There isn't really a strict schedule — but a day might look something like this:
☕ Slow breakfast aboard or at a nice café
🛥️ A few hours cruising
💆 A massage on deck
🥐 Stop in a village or vineyard
🍷 Lunch somewhere beautiful
🚶 Explore on foot
🛥️ Continue towards our next mooring
🍽️ Dinner together — or do your own thing
🌙 A quiet evening beside the canal
And the next day, we do it all again.
At French speed.
🚆 Getting There
You don't need a car to join us.
The villages along the Canal du Midi are connected to the wider French transport network, although some arrivals require a short taxi transfer from the nearest train station.
Before your trip, we'll send you clear, personalised arrival instructions, including the best train station to use, how to get from the station to the boat and the easiest options depending on where you're travelling from — whether that's Toulouse, Montpellier, Béziers, Paris or elsewhere in France and Europe.
We'll make getting to the boat as easy as possible.
❤️ What Is Included
Included
Accommodation aboard the boat
Food prepared aboard
Wine with meals
Boat fuel and navigation costs
Mooring fees
Bed linen and towels
Lucas & Mattia as your hosts
Seppi the dog 🐶
Local recommendations and knowledge
Guidance throughout the journey
Boat and lock introduction
Optional participation in steering, ropes and locks
Not Included
Flights and travel to/from the boat
Food and drinks in restaurants
Personal expenses
Additional drinks or special wines
Bicycle rental
Optional excursions and activities
Personal travel insurance
🎂 Private Charters
Want the whole boat for yourselves?
We can also organise private Canal du Midi charters for couples, groups of friends, birthdays and special occasions.
If you'd like a more private version of the experience, get in touch and we'll create the trip around your group.
✨ An Experience of a Lifetime
That's the kind of trip we're creating.
A small group.
A beautiful boat.
Good food.
French wine.
Beautiful places.
Relaxing massages.
A little adventure.
No rushing.
No pressure.
And plenty of space to enjoy it.
This is Gay Sailing — French style.
Come aboard for an experience of a lifetime. 🇫🇷⛵
